The Hawker Hurricane was the first monoplane to join the Royal Air Force as a fighter aircraft, capable of reaching speeds in excess of 300-mph in level flight. Often compared with the sleek-looking Supermarine Spitfire, the Hurricane, in actuality, shouldered the brunt of the fighting during the "Battle of Britain", equipping more than three-fifths of the RAF's Fighter Command squadrons. When it lost its edge as a dogfighter in 1941, the Hurricane took on a number of other roles, including ground attack missions and maritime combat air patrols.

The Hurricane Mk.I was the first production version, with fabric-covered wings, a wooden two-bladed, fixed-pitch propeller (first 435) or three blade two -pitch propeller, powered by the 1,030 hp (770 kW) Rolls-Royce Merlin Mk.II (first 364) or III engines and armed with eight .303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns. Produced between 1937 and 1939.

Pictured here is a 1:48 scale replica of a RAF Hawker Hurricane Mk. I fighter that was piloted by Sgt. J. Frantisek, who was attached to No.303 (Polish) Squadron, then deployed to RAF Northolt, England, during September 1940. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 10-inches
Length: 8-inches

Release Date: May 2015

Historical Account: "Kościuszko" - No.303 ("Kościuszko") Polish Fighter Squadron (Polish: 303 Dywizjon Myśliwski "Warszawski im. Tadeusza Kościuszki") was one of 16 Polish squadrons in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. It was the highest scoring of these 16 Polish-manned RAF squadrons during the Battle of Britain.

The squadron was named after the Polish and United States hero General Tadeusz Kościuszko, and the eponymous Polish 7th Air Escadrille founded by Merian C. Cooper, that served Poland in the 19191921 Polish-Soviet War. No. 303 was formed in July 1940 in Blackpool, Britain before deployment to RAF Northolt on the 2nd of August as part of an agreement between the Polish Government in Exile and the United Kingdom. It had a distinguished combat record and was disbanded in December 1946.